Brian Grazer to Produce Oscars Instead of Brett Ratner

11.10.11 by Ryan

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The dust has finally settled and it looks like Academy Award–winning producer Brian Grazer will be producing the 84th Academy Awards telecast next year instead of director Brett Ratner. Ratner resigned from his position yesterday after committing two public gaffes while promoting his latest movie, Tower Heist.

Soon after, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences issued a press release announcing Grazer as the new producer in charge. "Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work," said Academy President Tom Sherak. "He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars."

Grazer, who ironically produced Tower Heist, was grateful for the opportunity in his statement.

It's very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career. [Fellow producer] Don [Mischler] is a legend, and I am excited to work with him.

As for Ratner, it looks like he still has plenty of projects lined up. The director recently told The Wrap that he is looking to work on an unspecified movie with his Tower Heist actor Eddie Murphy, who followed Ratner out of the Oscars, where he was set to host the telecast. "I'd make anything with Eddie," Ratner told the site. Looks like the Oscars is one thing they won't make together.

Another movie Ratner wants to direct is a remake of The Last American Virgin, which followed a few friends on a mission to not be referred to by the title of the movie. The 1982 comedy was a remake, itself, based on a 1978 Israeli movie called Eskimo Lemon. Ratner discussed the project while appearing on The Howard Stern Show (via The Playlist).

"I'm actually remaking it, the movie The Last American Virgin," admitted Ratner, who revealed that he had an artistic reason for wanting to remake the comedy. "The girl in that [Diane Franklin] was so beautiful, curly hair, gorgeous eyes, I was twelve years old [and] I think I jerked off to her at least two hundred times," said the director. Like we said, artistic.

Of course, there's also that long-gestating adaptation of the comic book Youngblood, which Ratner said he was "still working" on. So, Ratner will be fine, though it's doubtful he will be doing press tours again anytime soon.